THE NEIGHBORHOOD

CAVA

This Maryland-based fast-casual concept is one of our favorites for the big pitas and the have-it-our-way bowls. CAVA has replaced some of the Zoës Kitchen locations (the one off University Drive remains for now), but the Mediterranean-inspired menu is solid. Our first trip was intimidating because of all the choices, but we’ve settled into a groove when it comes to ordering a bowl of black lentils, saffron basmati rice, roasted eggplant, tzatziki, grilled meatballs, Persian cucumbers, pickled red onion and a dash of preserved lemon vinaigrette. The crispy pita chips make for a nice “scoop,” or eat them with a serving of creamy hummus.

Waterside, 5917 Convair Drive, 817-710-1844, cava.com

Salad and Go

The portions are generous, the prices are right, and the service is quick — especially if you avoid prime drive-thru times or order ahead. All this makes Salad and Go a solid choice when you are on the run but want to eat healthy. You’ll end up with a lot of greens if you only eat the toppings off the salad, but toss everything well and you may actually get two meals for the price of one. Breakfast burritos also are served in the morning; cold brews (and other beverages) are just a dollar.

3400 Hulen St., saladandgo.com

Fort Brewery expands its space and its menu

The brewery, restaurant and entertainment venue brings new life to a 25,000-square-foot former candy factory in a warehouse district near the Autobahn dealerships near the Trinity River. Opening in September, the brewery’s big bonus is an inviting outdoor space incuding a patio with a retractable roof. Another plus is the food: There’s pizzas, from meaty to vegan and gluten-free, and all scratch-made, including the cured sausages, sauces and plant-based meats and cheeses. Or go with a double-decker Texas akaushi burger and baked fries, garlicky dough braids topped with cheese and spices or burnished pretzels. Weekend brunch promises avocado toast with eggs, candied bacon and cinnamon rolls. Head brewer Kevin King contributes two decades of Old World and West Coast brewing experience. Take-away options include cans, growlers and crowlers.
Taps at the inside bar dispense 14 beers — from IPAs and lagers to pilsners and blondes — and two hard seltzers, including rutabaga-strawberry and mojito. Fort Brewery offers a strong wine program, too, with more than 200 wines and a VIP room for everyday tastings. Patio pluses include window ordering (even for soft-serve ice cream), private cabanas and pup-friendly environs with a menu for all-natural doggy meals. Open daily for lunch and weekends for brunch; dinner is served Wednesday through Sunday. Look for event info on social media at facebook.com/fortbrewery and instagram.com/fortbrewery.

2737 Tillar St., fortbrewery.com

The Rooftop Bar, The Sinclair Hotel

It’s only open Friday and Saturday, and they highly encourage reservations if you’re not a guest, but the bar’s scenic views (and people-watching) make it worth a visit. Located on the 17th floor of the downtown hotel, the bar terrace wraps around 360 degrees, with ample and comfortable seating. Face west for the best sunset views; enjoy small plates and a beverage for a light dinner. Come cooler weather, the evening breeze will make it all even better.

512 Main St., 682-231-8214, thesinclairhotel.com

The Sanctuary is back

When 107 resident Rebecca Butler moved back to her native Fort Worth in 2008, she quickly garnered a following for her classes at Indigo Yoga. Yogis who’ve trailed her to (now defunct) Karmany Yoga (2010-2014) and then The Sanctuary Yoga Room at Clearfork (2014) and in Tanglewood (2018) find her full circle now at TSYR3 (The Sanctuary Yoga Room 3). The yoga studio space is in the Chicotsky’s shopping center and was home to an architecture organization before morphing into SoulSpace, followed by Indigo’s teaching academy. Butler’s new storefront provides lots of parking and a sunny lobby space decorated by longtime client and Fort Worth designer Farah Memon, whose colorful Moroccan furnishings add warmth and texture. Refrigerated offerings include Juice Junkies products, along with coffee and CBD-infused drinks. You’ll also find a selection of books, crystals, essential oils, CBD ampules, mats and bolsters, and beautiful kantha quilts from India for purchase. “It’s all designed for people to create their own sanctuary for at-home yoga practice,” Butler says. Teaching online since the pandemic ended her in-person classes in early 2020, Butler now has a class schedule that offers several familiar teachers from Karmany and the original Sanctuary and includes both in-studio and streaming options, the latter for those still choosing home practices. On-site, TSYR3 offers a private teaching room, a studio with heat panels (“We are never warmer than 88 degrees, and we will usually be about 82 degrees,” says Butler), men’s and women’s showers, and several HEPA air purifiers around the spaces. Class schedules and sign-ups — proof of COVID vaccinations is required for in-person yoga practice — are found online.

3425 W. 7th St., 817-420-6179, thesanctuaryyogaroom.com 

Bowie House updates: the old, the new, the unknown

As construction gets underway on the boutique hotel on Camp Bowie Boulevard, here’s a brief update.

• In 2020, the City Council approved the plan from developer Jo Ellard to build a hotel with 120 rooms, four floors and 11 adjacent town homes in the 3700 block of Camp Bowie.
• In response to neighborhood concerns about density, Ellard reduced the number of town homes in the development to eight.
• A request to park construction office trailers at the northwest corner of Camp Bowie Boulevard and Dorothy Lane was withdrawn in August.
• An agreement between neighborhood associations and the developer to limit construction to five days a week wasn’t binding. Six days of construction, with Sundays as needed, are still under consideration if needed to shorten the building period.
• Where construction trailers will be set up and which route trucks will travel to the site is unknown (the neighborhood’s preference is travel into and out of the zone via Montgomery rather than a longer stretch of travel along the bricks to Interstate 30 via Hulen Street).
• The developer has requested that the westbound, outside lane of Camp Bowie from Clarke Avenue to Dorothy Lane be closed for one year.
• Bryan Botterman, of real estate services and investment firm Coldwell Banker Richard Ellis, plans to set up a website to share Bowie House hotel updates.
• District 7 Councilman Leonard Firestone met with the developer in mid-August in hopes of resolving outstanding issues and obtaining reassurances that the character of the neighborhood will be respected during all phases of construction.

In other hotel news Dirt has started to move for the Crescent Real Estate mixed-use project at the corner of West 7th Street and Van Cliburn Way. This project also features a boutique hotel along with residential living and office space. Projected completion is mid-2023.

Fort Worth Camera The retailer leaves the Cultural District for a new space farther west on Camp Bowie Boulevard. (Reasons given include space for more parking and a chance to expand their merchandise and offer more classes and events.) A bonus is that they will be neighbors with Wild Acre Brewing Company and Lazy Daisy Coffee. Look for an early October opening.

6483 Camp Bowie Blvd., 817-335-3456, fortworthcamera.com

Into the Garden The outdoor living shop is leaving its longtime HQ in an iconic building on Camp Bowie Boulevard and heading for The Shops at Clearfork, where it will double its square footage and have an enclosed patio to showcase its outdoor furniture. Look for a January opening. Watch for updates at intothegarden.com.